EU will propose establishing fleet of vessels for emergency undersea cable repairs

HELSINKI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose boosting surveillance of undersea cables and establishing a fleet of vessels available to repair cables in emergencies, it said in an action plan published Friday.

The announcement comes at a time when some European governments are concerned about multiple incidents in which power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been damaged.

"We want to make sure Europe is equipped not only to prevent and detect sabotage to cables but also to actively deter, repair and respond to any threat to critical infrastructure that is key to our economy and collective security," said Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's executive vice president in charge of security.